Bridal Inspiration Board #68 ~ Country House Wedding

We're delighted to be back on these fine pages this morning to give you another healthy dose of inspiration with our venue mood board and styling guides.  If you've not seen our most recent bridal inspiration posts, we've been showcasing some fabulous UK venues and sharing our own design concepts to help you bring a little bit of Pocketful of Dreams magic to your wedding day.  So far we've covered edgy warehouseslaidback tent affairs and today we're moving on to the country house…


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Image Credits: 1. Gypsy Purple 2. Babington House 3. Style Me Pretty 4, 6, 8. Polly Alexandre  5. Atelier Turner 7. Dottie Photography

 

T H E    V E N U E

We know that for many of you seeking the perfect venue for your civil ceremony, a country house is top of your list.  And we can certainly see why as they typically offer luxurious decor, gorgeous grounds and yet retain that sense of homeliness.  The perfect marriage of style and comfort.

And one of our favourite examples of this type of venue is Babington House, the venue of choice for last weeks nuptials of stylish couple Mille Mackintosh and Professor Green. An impressive manor house in the rolling Somerset countryside, sister to London's cool Soho House and equally as fabulous. Their laidback attitude is certainly a major selling factor when it comes to choosing this venue for your wedding day as is their commitment to offering a country house experience without compromising on the high standards you'd expect from a city location. Babington House is like a home away from home offering the perfect setting for a traditional country wedding party – with a slightly bohemian twist.

And of course it is this twist that we love most about the place, so our design today takes us on a fantasy trip to Babington House as we dream and doodle away the kind of wedding we'd design for a couple choosing this type of venue…

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Image Credits: 1. 100 Layer Cake 2. Style Me Pretty 3. Leslie Pearson 4. David Pressman 5. Sugar and Fluff 6. Laughin' Gal Floral 7. Style Me Pretty 8. Everly True

 

T H E    I N S P I R A T I O N

We have pulled in elements of Babington's stunning surroundings from the luscious petrol blue walls of the house bar to the softest pale pinks of the furniture scattered around the house to set the scene for a design that is an eclectic mix of understated luxe details.

We've created an unusual and - if we say so ourselves - rather fabulous colour palette for this special venue, featuring warm, earthy copper tones, pretty rose, rich wine and taupe to work alongside that stunning petrol blue, creating a tantalising concoction that blend together to create a luxurious and sumptuous look.  The daring splash of petrol blue adds an almost masculine thread to the look.

Country homes are typically full of history and tales so to reflect this our design harks back to times goneby with a strong antique feel worked in with beautiful, natural elements to create a romantic look with a healthy sprinkling of thoughtful details.  Look to incorporate warm woods and antique pieces complete with imperfections and patina patterns, recreating the tarnish that naturally forms on the surface of copper.  We're harking back to a lost time but celebrating that aged effect to add a more relaxed sense to proceedings and avoid the day feeling too formal.

Altogether, the perfect look for a couple who enjoy life's finer elements yet yearn for a laidback vibe with delicate details.

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Image Credits: 1. Monique Lhuillier 2. Nick Wooster 3. Urban Outfitters 4. Harriet Wilde 5. Once Wed

 

T H E    L O O K

Our Country House Bride demands an effortlessly sophisticated look.  And what better way to achieve just that than with this strapless gown from Monique Lhuillier? The frothy texture keeps it light and dreamy whilst the intricate gold detailing is a guaranteed head turner, especially when paired with these fabulous Bohemian shoes by Harriet Wilde, a pretty peep-toe ivory and gold leather lace boot, this style is elegant and contemporary with the delicate lace fabric working perfectly with our detailed dress.

Sweep hair up to ensure all focus is on the dress and its gorgeous bodice whilst make up is kept deceptively simple to create a naturally glowing, dewy look.  For the finishing flourish, accessorise with bold jewellery such as this gorgeous Sibilia patina brass cuff to add an unexpected twist to your look.

Have your maids complement your attire in long, delicately detailed dresses in soft taupe and oyster shades. Meanwhile our groom cuts a stylish silhouette in a stylishly tailored black blue lounge suit, complemented by a pocket square and antique watch. 

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Image Credits: 1. Gemma Milly 2. Jamali Garden 3. Nordic House  4. Antique Marks 5. The Bothy 6. Ebury Home & Garden  7. Babington House 8. Prices for Antiques 9. Made By Hands of Britain 10. Style Me Pretty 11. Zara Home 12. Zara Home 13. Caterer's Warehouse 14. Chrissie Diller on Etsy 15. Patina 16. Pocketful of Dreams 

 

T H E    D E S I G N

A luxurious wedding like this demands an elegant paper suite to set the scene for guests as to the day that you have planned for them. For our paper goods, we'd look to one of our favourite stationery designers, Gemma Milly. Briefing her to design us a unique pattern featuring painterly effects to bring out the petrol blue tones and copper foil blocking for the calligraphy for a truly stunning effect. We have worked with Gemma recently on an exciting project and truly cannot recommend her enough, talent runs through her veins and she can take any brief and turn it into something magical.

Our wedding breakfast takes place in the Orangery, a most perfect space for dining, seating up to 80 guests. We'd have them seated refectory style beneath the twinkling chandeliers so everyone can enjoy the stunning views to outside.

As this is such a stunning and highly decorative room already we've chosen to place a runner of mismatched copper and blue candlesticks along the table, of varying heights and styles for an unstructured aesthetic. Adding petrol blue dinner and pillar candles to ensure a warm and romantic ambience over the proceedings.

Space at these tables is at a premium so we'd only have a few small floral pieces, in gorgeously patinated copper vases, pedestal style.  For your flowers, think soft and pretty with a hint of whimsy.  Look to the quintessential English Rose mixed in with anemones or clematis.  And don't forget to emphasise your country setting with lots of gorgeous foliage for a natural and unstructured look. Meanwhile we're bringing in luxurious colour with our place settings, comprising a copper charger plate and stunning watercolour dessert plates, adorned with guests names in copper vinyl – making a wonderful keepsake gift for our guests.

For the table plan we would create something elegant and unique using antique patinated keys attached to a bespoke printed label with petrol blue silk ribbon. Displayed within an ornate antique copper frame taking pride of place on an old artist's easel at the entrance to the Orangery to direct each guest to their table.  

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Image Credits: 1. Marquee Market on Etsy 2. Altar'd 3. Style Me Pretty 4. Style Me Pretty 5. 1st Dibs 6. Puddle Crafts 7. Nordic House

T H E    F O O D    A N D    D R I N K

We'd set-up a 'pour-your-own' liquor bar bringing in a fabulous piece of distressed vintage furniture** to act as our bar and have these fabulous plug-in marquee lights sat along the top shelf.

Then of course it's time to choose your tipples, offering guests a vast array of delicious delights, displayed in vintage decanters with bespoke printed labels displaying the contents of each one.  And don't forget to add a selection of cut-glass tumblers and custom drink stirrers

For cake fabulousness, stick to something simple with copper frosted detailing, or for something a little more whimsical a painterly blue effect to match those dessert plates from earlier would look stunning. These ornate platters from Nordic House come in blue and copper so perfectly match our design. Finally soft linen napkins printed with your bespoke pattern would add that final finishing touch. 

** You can find similar pieces of vintage furniture to hire from Vintage Style Hire who have a fantastic range of stock. Kate, their vintage furniture expert is an absolute joy to work with too so whatever your needs give her a bell she'll usually find you a solution.

Our Country House Wedding design is the perfect option for a couple who wants to celebrate both the laid-back beauty of the country with the sophistication and luxury often associated with city weddings.  If you've fallen for the idea of getting wed at Babington House or are planning a Country House wedding, then make sure you pop by our Country House Wedding Pinterest board for even more inspiration.

Do let us know what you think in the comments box below and if you'd like us to design a concept for your venue or there are any colours, concepts or ideas that you'd like to see us incorporate into an upcoming Love My Dress inspiration board we'd love to hear from you!

Michelle & Vicki xx

Creative Event Designers at Pocketful of Dreams

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Annabel

Annabel View all Annabel's articles

Founder of Love My Dress. Passionate Podcaster and Editor. Annabel lives in rural North Yorkshire with her husband and business partner Philip, their two daughters and menagerie of furry hounds. She loves photography, meditation, walking, being outdoors and star gazing. She is fierce when it comes to championing talent within the wedding industry and when she's not working on Love My Dress, she supports her husband Philip in the running of the family's sustainable flower farm and floral design business, Moonwind Flowers. In 2013, she became a published author.

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